


In Your Head

by daenyara



Series: James Bucky Barnes / Sebastian Stan ONE-SHOTS [5]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Professor Bucky Barnes, marvel AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 12:30:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18052535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daenyara/pseuds/daenyara
Summary: Y/n can’t get the charming professor Barnes out of her mind





	In Your Head

 

Y/n’s ringing voice resonated through the quiet auditorium as she spoke, calmly gesticulating towards the chalkboard while she tried her best to make a point.

“Take anxiety, for instance. When you find yourself under stress, your endocrine system sends a message to the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol. This hormone should help your body deal with stress. However, if that doesn’t happen, your mood can be affected. It’s been shown that this kind of imbalance in the chemical activity is often linked to mental disorders.” She paused, smiling at the hesitant girl in the front row who had asked for a clarification. “So yes, to answer your question: there  _is_  a biological component in the study of  abnormal psychology.”

There were a few more questions, and then the audience started clapping. All y/n could think about, as a long queue of people patiently waited to congratulate her for her brilliant exposition, was that all her hard work had paid off. The conference was a success. She had managed to hold the attention of the crowd, both the students and the other academics. When she had found out that she, of all people, had been given the opportunity to organize the seminar, she had barely managed to hold it together, and now that it was done she felt her chest bursting with pride.

After everyone started leaving, she started grabbing all of her scrappy notes and tossing them in her bag, humming a soft tune with a wide grin still plastered on her face.

“Congratulations. That was really something.”

The sudden voice forced her to raise her head in surprise. “Oh.” She hesitated for a moment, recognizing the speaker. It was the good-looking man who had arrived late at the conference and looked as if he was in the wrong place. She had noticed him staring at her from the corner of the room, and when he had smiled at her she’d been so distracted that for a second she had forgotten what she was saying.  _Fuck,_  he was even more handsome up-close.

Y/n let out a nervous giggle. “Thank you!”

“I, huh, I liked that part about cognitive development… the bits I understood, at least,” he said in a soft chuckle, while he scratched the back of his neck.

She gazed at him in curiosity, slightly furrowing her brows. “I take it this is not your area of expertise.”

The man shook his head. “Guilty as charged. I teach Astrophysics,” he explained. “Doctor Bucky Barnes. Please, call me Bucky.”

“Y/n y/ln,” she introduced herself as she shook the hand he was offering. His grip felt odd. It was somehow gentle and strong at the same time. But what made y/n looked down in confusion was the fact that he was wearing gloves. A thin line, almost imperceptible, appeared on her forehead, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she squinted her eyes while smirking. “ _Bucky?_ ”

He burst into laughter at her expression “Well, technically it’s James, but it doesn’t sound right, you know...”

“I get it. Nicknames stick with you whether you want them or not,” nodded y/n. “Well, Bucky. Since you’re not one of my students nor a professor from the Psych Department, may I ask why are you here?”

Bucky swallowed, trying to conceal his embarrassment with a chuckle. “Actually, I got the wrong room. But your conference was fascinating, so I stayed.”

“Is listening to two-hour-long conferences about random topics a hobby of yours, or…?” teased y/n, making him laugh once again. The gleeful sound was music to her ears, and what was even better was knowing that she was the reason behind it.

“Not usually, no,” he admitted, absent-mindedly passing a hand through his long hair.  

“Do I take it as a compliment?”

“You should,” he assured immediately, and she grinned brightly. He seemed hesitant for a moment, then he cleared his throat and locked his azure eyes into hers. “This might sound crazy, but ⎼ we’re going to end up together.”

It took a few seconds before his words sank in. “What?!” squeaked y/n caught by surprise, her voice much higher than she intended. “I'm sorry, first time talking to a real person?”

Bucky frantically shook his head, trying to explain while y/n resumed putting her stuff in her bag. “No, please, listen! I don't get it. Frankly, it’s nuts for me as well, but I've been running dozens of probability scenarios in my head since I entered this class, and they all end with us together.”

“I have heard some lame pickup lines in my day, but this…” she scoffed, eyeing him in indignant disbelief.

Bucky chuckled. “Oh, I have plenty of those.  _Are you a neuro-electrical current? 'Cause you've been running through my mind all day,_ ” he recited with an amused smirk, and y/n snorted. “But that's not what this is. I think this is going to happen, y/n y/l/n.” He gestured at himself and then her.

“If you don’t mind, I’m gonna assume you’re either joking or delusional,” said y/n. Just when she thought she had found a cute guy, he revealed himself to be a weirdo. Typical.

Bucky bit down his lower lip and sighed. “Right. This is my number, in case you change your mind.” He let a handwritten card slide into her open bag.

She gave him a sarcastic look. “Uh, yeah, not gonna do that.”

“I think you will,” smiled Bucky. He hadn’t said it with cockiness, it was as if he was simply stating a fact. His forehead creased slightly as he continued. “See, there are forces in the Universe that we don't understand. Measurable forces that can't be explained, but  _cannot_  be denied. And that's what this is. I don't get it, but I know that it's real.”

He was staring at her with such intensity, while he spoke with pure velvet in his voice, that y/n got lost in his eyes for a moment. Then she reminded herself that he was a total stranger who was literally trying to convince her that the Universe wanted them together, and she got a hold of herself. Sure, he was one incredibly handsome stranger, but for all she knew, he might have been a lunatic.

“ _Wow_. Has this technique of yours ever worked? On a  _real_  human being, that is,” mocked y/n, her brows heavily arched.

“I suppose you’ll tell me,” he joked, making her roll her eyes.

“Yeah, sure.”

He huffed at her sarcasm. “That's gonna stick. I'm in your head,” he assured her.

“Alright.”

“You'll see.”

Y/n scoffed and pointed at the door. “Now try and walk away cool.”

“Oh, I will.” Bucky laughed, waving goodbye as he left. “Goodbye, professor.”

## *****

It was 5:58 in the afternoon when someone started knocking on Bucky’s door, and by the look of it, whoever it was was willing to kick the door down if he didn’t open it. He cursed under his breath, turning off the stove where his tomato soup was lazily simmering, and running towards the door.

“He-” he started, but he was interrupted by a very angry y/n.

“You!” she growled.

“You,” he chuckled in surprise, just before she rushed through the door, letting herself in. “Please, come in…” muttered Bucky under his breath as he closed the door behind her, but she didn’t hear him.

Saying the place was small would’ve been an understatement. It was a studio apartment, with a single bed in the corner, a flat TV, a small desk full of papers and a kitchen on the wall.

Y/n crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at Bucky, trying to ignore the fact that he was standing in just his boxers and a dark red hoodie. “What you did the other day was  _extremely_  unprofessional.”

Bucky cocked an eyebrow, giving her an innocent expression. “I just gave you my number, we’re allowed to do that”

“You didn’t just give me your number and you know it! You blabbered all that stuff about the Universe and the Force and-  _ugh_! We don’t live in cheap rom-com, you know?”

A broad grin slowly made its way on Bucky’s face as he understood why she was there. “It stuck.”

“No, it didn’t,” scoffed y/n, but a flush crept up her face and betrayed her thoughts.

“You wouldn’t be here if it didn’t.”

Rolling her eyes at his remarks, she huffed. “Fine, it did. Your super cheesy  _and_  very inappropriate flirting technique stuck and it was all I could think about during these past two weeks. Congratulations.  _Bite me._ ”

Bucky’s smile wavered when she hissed those last words. “Look, I’m sorry,” he sighed, staring into her eyes. “I didn’t mean to upset you, nor to force you in any way. But it wasn’t a flirting technique, I meant everything I said.” He chuckled when he saw her expression. Clearly, he had to do a little better if he wanted to convince her that he wasn’t crazy. “I swear, I’m serious. When I saw you the other day I was...  _enraptured,_ to say the least. I couldn’t believe what I was feeling. And I now realize that maybe I should’ve just asked you out instead of saying all those things.”

“ _Now_  you realize it?!” Y/n’s eyes widened, which made Bucky snort.

“Hey, I’m tryin’ to apologize here, sweetheart,” he said, raising his hands in defeat. “I’m really sorry I made you uncomfortable and I haunted your thoughts these last days.”

Y/n stayed quiet for a moment, then the corners of her mouth turned up. “Alright, you’re forgiven… _Bucky_.”

Bucky sat on his bed and motioned for her to join him. “How did you find my address, anyway?”

“Not in an entirely legal way, I’ll tell you that,” she admitted, chewing on her lips while she made her way towards him. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t report me.” It was unclear whether she was being serious or not, but Bucky just laughed.

“I can’t believe I made an esteemed professor become a criminal.”

She snorted at his teasing, and for the first time since she got there, she let her eyes wander. That’s when she noticed his left hand peeking through the sleeve of his hoodie. It was some kind of high-tech prosthesis, made of shiny, dark metal. Bucky noticed her looking at it but stayed silent, waiting for her reaction and expecting the worst. Was she gonna be disgusted by it? Afraid? Or worse, was she going to pity him?

“Accident?” asked y/n in a low voice, interrupting his thoughts. Her fingertips gently brushed against the cold metal. Bucky shivered at the touch.

“Something like that,” he murmured in response.

She was looking at him with no pity in her eyes. It was more than he could’ve hoped for. He was used to being looked at as if he was a lost puppy, and honestly, when you’re constantly treated as if you have something wrong, you can’t help but feel that way. But y/n showed none of that.

She raised her hand to pull the hem of her shirt and reveal what seemed to be part of a long, thin scar that crossed her chest.

“Artificial heart valve,” she explained. Bucky nodded but didn’t speak. A few minutes passed, without the two of them saying a word. Eventually, y/n met his gaze. “I’ll go on a date with you.”

Bucky tilted his head to the side, unsure of what was going on. “You will?”

She smirked. “I’m already in your bed, am I not?”

Bucky chortled, shaking his head, before flashing her a tender smile. That smile alone made y/n feel absolutely certain of her decision. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 7. That fine with you, doll?”

“I wouldn’t know, I need to ask the Universe for a sign, first,” she joked, nudging him.

Bucky sighed dramatically. “You’re never gonna let it go, are you?”

“ _Never._ ”


End file.
